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Leeds United ace Leif Davis has encountered a surprise twist over his future, as his proposed season-long loan move to Bournemouth has collapsed [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Leeds United look towards the new campaign

Careering closer to the start of competitive 2021/22 football, Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa will be keen on shaping his squad in a fashion capable of improving on their ninth placed finish last term.

Acquiring high-profile signings will be a key feature of this, however selling on spare parts or farming out young talent on loan will also take important precedence.

Despite that, one man who looks as if he may be staying at Elland Road for a while yet is 21-year-old Davis, following recent reports.

The Latest: Davis move to Bournemouth falls through following advanced talks

Previously, the youngster looked set to move to the Vitality Stadium following advanced talks with the second-tier outfit [Football Insider].

However, a Leeds source claims discussions have now fallen through between the two clubs.

Contact will take place to see if a move can be re-ignited ahead of Bournemouth’s inaugural Sky Bet Championship fixture on August 6th vs West Brom, however no such outcome is expected by those involved in communication.

The Verdict: Conflicting feelings will surround the Davis situation

Conflicting opinions will surround this latest development. On one hand, Davis provides a solid back-up option to Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas, given that Dallas can now thrive in midfield and let the youngster serve as deputy to the new signing.

Conversely, his footballing development could have been accelerated considerably within the competitive environment of the Championship.

In 2020/21, Davis made 18 appearances combined for Leeds United and Leeds United Under-23’s [Transfermarkt].

Impressing with his desire to move the ball effectively, the Newcastle-born defender recorded a commendable 89.5% passing accuracy rate across the piece [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘brilliant’ by Marcelo Bielsa, he most certainly is someone who can contribute long-term at the Whites [Leeds Live].

Unlikely to feature regularly for Leeds United regularly in the forthcoming months though after the capture of Firpo, a loan switch elsewhere is surely the ideal solution moving forward.

In other news, Leeds United have been linked with a Bundesliga ace.

West Bromwich Albion are set to announce Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael as their new boss today [Joseph Masi, Express and Star].

Ending months of speculation, the Baggies are set to bring their hunt for a new head coach to an end after Sam Allardyce departed the Hawthorns last month [Independent].

The West Midlands club are believed to have paid around £2 million in total to buy Ismael out of his contract, whilst the 45-year-old and the Baggies hierarchy are said to have taken the last day to iron out backroom arrangements [Express and Star].

Michael Appleton was also heavily in the frame for the position in recent days, however the former Bayern Munich man has emerged as the preferred candidate [Lincolnshire Live].

In light of this development, no wonder loads of West Bromwich Albion diehards took to Twitter to express their opinion on the latest news.

Baggies fans react:

Replying to the Express and Star Twitter page, here is how some WBA fans summarized their feelings on Ismael:

“Today is Wednesday 23rd June 2021. Also known as Valérien Ismaël day. #WBA”

Credit: @JoshhhWBA

“The longest countdown in history …..99….98….97 #wba”Credit: @StigsWBACousin”That means probably Monday then”Credit: @dbunce74″So hopefully in 14 weeks time we can look at signing players for the season ahead. WBA don’t like to work quickly do they”Credit: @DavidBriscoe9″It will be announced today!”Credit: @BOINGxxBAGGIES”Hurry up”Credit: @leonwba91In other news, a former England international warns a potential West Brom managerial target about a key issue at the club.

Crystal Palace are interested in a deal to bring William Saliba to Selhurst Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that the incoming Palace manager Patrick Vieira could look to tap up his former side Arsenal in the summer transfer window, with the 20-year-old centre-back a potential target for the Frenchman.

It is then reported that Mikel Arteta may be willing to loan the France U20 international out this summer, as the Spaniard is unsure as to whether Saliba is ready to play on a regular basis for the Gunners next season.

Vieira must move

While Saliba is yet to make his Premier League debut for Arsenal since joining the club back in the summer of 2019, considering just how much potential the defender appears to possess, it would very much appear as if securing a loan deal for the 20-year-old would be something of a coup for Palace this summer.

Indeed, having been sent on loan to OGC Nice in the January transfer window, the youngster highly impressed over his 20 Ligue 1 appearances for Adrian Ursea’s side, helping his team keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, four clearances and winning 3.5 duels per game.

The centre-back also impressed with his level of involvement in games and his range of passing, touching the ball an average of 83.6 times per fixture as well as completing an average of 66.8 passes in each game.

The returns saw the man Ursea dubbed a “leader” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Nice’s third-best performer in the top flight of French football.

And, with Palace having released the likes of Scott Dann, Gary Cahill and Mamadou Sakho at the end of last season, Vieira will certainly be looking to bring in additions in the position this summer.

As such, it would seem highly advisable for the 45-year-old to indeed pursue a move for the £17m-rated Saliba ahead of their upcoming Premier League campaign, as the young Frenchman would appear to make a fantastic addition to the Palace backline.

In other news: Vieria must make “complete” £36k-p/w gem his first CPFC signing, he won’t cost a penny

Many Everton fans have been flocking to a transfer update on Nikola Vlasic.

As per Bobsoccer.ru, a Russian news outlet, the Goodison Park faithful are considering buying him back from CSKA Moscow, after he was sold to them for £14.13m back in the summer window of 2019.

Vlasic has come off of the back of a great 2020/21 season, scoring no fewer than 12 goals and making a further six assists in 34 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

At 23 years of age, the Croatia international still has a lot of potential to fulfil, and given that he is an attacking midfield player, perhaps he can fill in for James Rodriguez when the Colombian is absent from the team.

The former Real Madrid superstar missed a fair chunk of last term through injury.

Everton fans on Vlasic transfer update

These Merseyside club supporters flocked to the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that Vlasic is a ‘class’ player:

“Terrible decision to sell him. Bought Lookman and Vlasic for good prices and then never made use of them.”

Credit: @marchy27

“We shouldn’t of sold him in the first place. Fully open to him returning”

Credit: @_NateTweets

“Absolute class he is, wasn’t given a chance when he was here”

Credit: @PHardwit

“Boss player btw, just a mad story”

Credit: @ShoeyEFC1234

“Didn’t get a proper chance at us! Same with Moise Kean! Get him back!”

Credit: @TurpoEFC

“Why did we actually sell him? We didn’t need to sell him, we could see that he was going to be a good player and he is only 23 now”

Credit: @hmmmm123456543

In other news, find out which PL-winning manager the Toffees have contacted here!

Tottenham Hotspur are planning to make a move to sign Nicolas Gonzalez this summer.

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizo Romano, who claims that the Argentina international is expected to leave Stuttgart in the current transfer window.

Serie A outfit Fiorentina have already submitted a €25m (£22.5m) offer with add-ons included, meaning Spurs may have to strike sooner rather than later if they are to seal his signature.

Romano has also revealed that Daniel Levy’s newly appointed director of football, Fabio Paratici, is a huge admirer, claiming he “appreciates him.”

The 23-year-old had far from the sort of prolific season that should have a team like Spurs hot on his heels but a large part of that can be attributed to a multitude of unfortunate injuries.

As per Transfermarkt, Gonzalez bagged six goals in 15 league appearances but missed no fewer than 18 matches through injury, ranging from a torn muscle to a ruptured knee ligament.

During VfB’s promotion campaign, the 5 foot 11 dynamo scored 14 times in 27 appearances, so it’s clear to see that when he’s fit and playing regularly, he is a constant source of goals.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-manager-update-fonseca-paratici-levy” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, manager gossip, transfer rumours, injury updates and more!”]

Valued at nearly £19.8m, Gonzalez has been regarded as an intelligent and pacy forward, one with a lethal left foot, which has led to comparisons to both Real Madrid legend Raul as well as former World Cup-winning striker Mario Kempes.

“He’s got a lot of qualities, but what I like best about him is that he’s a winner,” claimed his head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. “He wants to win at all costs. He always gives 100 per cent, and gets stuck in. He’s very important for us.”

Whilst Goal journalist Ronan Murphy has lauded him as a player with “huge potential” following Spurs’ previous interest in the forward.

With Carlos Vinicius returning to Benfica following an indifferent loan spell and the future of Harry Kane up in the air, Paratici could do little wrong in bringing the Argentine to North London this summer.

He’s also able to play out wide, so his talents may not be completely wasted on the bench should the England talisman stick around for 2021/22.

If Paratici wants him, then it’s now on Levy to provide the funds. Get it done.

AND in other news, Fonseca could save Levy millions by unleashing £9m-rated Spurs gem who’s a “machine”…

Pundit Alan Hutton has dropped a bold take involving Tottenham Hotspur and their links to Brendan Rodgers, claiming the 48 year-old will still be their number one target ‘behind the scenes’.

The Lowdown: Tottenham have targeted Rodgers

As per Football Insider, Spurs were prepared to ‘offer Rodgers the earth’ in order to bring him over to North London from Leicester City.

However, speaking to talkSPORT, the former Celtic, Liverpool and Swansea City boss claimed that he was ‘200 per cent’ staying at the King Power Stadium despite missing out on UEFA Champions League football on the final day of the 2020/21 term.

The Latest: Hutton on Rodgers to Tottenham

Speaking to Football Insider, despite Rodgers’ claim to talkSPORT, former Lilywhites player Hutton thinks that they would still ‘love’ to lure the Northern Irishman away from the Foxes, and was full of praise for what he has done with the East Midlands club:

“I think that’s who, behind the scenes, they’ll be trying their hardest. 

“Leicester have got a fantastic squad, new training ground, he’s done really, really well there. But you can’t argue Tottenham are a big draw. They’re a huge football club with everything there that’s needed to challenge the top four on a regular basis.

“I don’t know, I’ve just got this feeling that is who they would love to have. I’m not saying they can do it, I just think they would love to have him there.

“Obviously, with Leicester just dropping out the top four, you wonder if that could sway it. Obviously, Spurs aren’t in the Champions League but Leicester aren’t either. You just wonder if that may sway him one way or another.” 

The Verdict: Tottenham must not give up on Rodgers

THFC must not give up hope of trying to lure Rodgers away from their Premier League rivals.

The 48-year-old has a great track record in the top flight, having guided LCFC to two recent consecutive fifth-placed finishes, just missing out on the top four on both final days, while also achieving a very respectable second place with Liverpool in the 2013/14 season (Transfermarkt).

With Tottenham currently on somewhat of a trophy drought, Rodgers has proved that he can win silverware as well, most recently masterminding a win against Chelsea in the FA Cup final while also winning a remarkable three league titles and four domestic cups with Celtic (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, while it would be very difficult, Spurs must try and do all that they can to make him their next permanent manager.

In other news, find out which ‘incredible’ defender THFC could return for here!

West Ham United have been given an encouraging boost in their bid to sign Sam Johnstone this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper has privately told friends that he wants an instant return to the Premier League with the east London outfit following the Baggies’ relegation last month.

A source told the website that the 28-year-old is said to be “very keen” on signing for the Irons in the upcoming transfer window and he remains a firm target for David Moyes.

Just a few weeks ago, The Sun’s Alan Nixon claimed that the Midlands side would command around £20m to let their first-choice goalkeeper depart The Hawthorns, adding that the Scot would be willing to wait until his price tag drops to make a move, even if he’s seen as a long-term replacement for Lukasz Fabianski.

Imagine him and Ogbonna

For the sake of a few million pounds, the club’s owners GSB should probably just pay up to land Moyes his man as they’ll be investing in a key position for several years.

At just 28, Johnstone has several more seasons at the very top of his game, and with injury problems continuing to plague the Poland international, it would be a very wise decision to find a long-term successor sooner rather than later.

That is something they do not currently have amongst the first team set-up, with Darren Randolph (34) and David Martin (35) being fellow veteran options.

Despite being relegated to the Championship with the worst defensive record in the English top flight this season, the Baggies stopper has been one of the few shining lights and perhaps one of the better options between the sticks.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-news-irons-transfer-gossip-rumours-more-moyes-striker-gsb” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

As per the statistical website FBRef, Johnstone made the most saves in the division (161) by quite some margin and did so at a success rate of 70.6%, which was higher than Fabianski (69.4%) despite the Irons ‘keeper facing 65 fewer shots.

It’s no wonder that he has earned plenty of glowing acclaim from those around him and in the media, too.

Former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce suggested that the 6 foot 4 colossus was “one of the best [in the Premier League]” to talkSPORT back in December, whilst BT Sport pundit Glenn Hoddle claimed he had “been outstanding” every time he’s seen him play this season.

Furthermore, Steve Bruce believes Johnstone is an absolute “diamond” to work with on the training ground, so perhaps he could be the man to truly rival Fabianski for that number one spot next term. That may all boil down to whether or not the club can – or will – splash out that £20m, but they ought to do so.

On the above evidence, he would be a fine addition to Moyes’ current backline, where Angelo Ogbonna has excelled. He and Johnstone could be a rock-solid pairing heading into a Europa League campaign.

As former Irons striker Frank McAvennie recently told Football FanCast exclusively, the Albion star is “right up West Ham’s street,” so GSB must sanction a move for him this summer.

He wants it; Moyes wants it. Get it done, David Sullivan.

AND in other news, 6 foot 4 powerhouse who “will explode” could bolster West Ham’s European claims next season…

If you’re a young player at Wolves, it’s incredibly likely you’ll get an opportunity to shine in the first-team.

Jeff Shi’s mantra since purchasing the club has been to buy players at a young age and progress them towards reaching their high ceiling.

Diogo Jota and Pedro Neto are two of Wolves’ biggest success stories since Fosun completed their takeover at Molineux but others continue to come through the ranks.

As well as buying for the first-team, the Old Gold have been keen to strengthen their options from an academy point of view.

They broke their record fee for an academy player by signing Christian Marques after they beat Bayern Munich to his signature. Another of their finest captures at youth level is Luke Matheson.

Amidst studying for his GCSE’s, the teenager scored at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup for Rochdale.

It’s a moment that has made his career as he broke into their first team at the tender age of 16.

What followed was a move to Wolves, who have yet to blood him at senior level.

However, it surely won’t be too long before he earns his opportunity under Nuno Santo. After all, he already has a taste for first-team action and has all the qualities that perfectly suit Wolves’ style of play.

Unfortunately, he does have plenty of players ahead of him in the pecking order. The Old Gold signed two right-backs last summer in Nelson Semedo and Ki-Jana Hoever.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-transfer-rumours-and-news-soumare-dias-dembele-marques-nuno-santo” title=”Read the latest Wolves transfer rumours and news!”]

That said, Semedo has been a liability at times this season and has now been linked with a move to Roma.

If Wolves decided to cash in just a year after buying him, they should look to finally unleash Matheson at Molineux.

Speaking during his debut campaign at Rochdale, the teenager earned plenty of praise from manager Brian Barry-Murphy: “Luke is an exceptional guy. He is one player you would have no problems staying grounded and true to his family.”

The 18-year-old hasn’t developed as rapidly as many thought he would when he scored against Manchester United but he still possesses plenty of eye-catching traits.

After he signed for the club, scouting writer David Alexander Hughes told Birmingham Live: “In terms of his defensive work, the defender is exhibiting a strong tactical understanding of the game, reading opposition attacks well and making a decent amount of interceptions and possession recoveries per game.”

Hughes continued: “Matheson’s abilities in progressing the ball and providing a threat in the attacking third make him an ideal candidate to feature as a wing-back for Nuno’s side.”

He added: “Wolves have recruited a young and exciting defender who looks to have a very high ceiling. To be a regular within League One at just 17 is a true testament to his ability.”

Matheson is maturing all the time but after an unsuccessful loan spell with Ipswich, is now back in the U23s at Compton.

Nuno has always had a keen eye for young talent at Molineux; the 18-year-old must surely be near the top of his priorities, however.

AND in other news, Nuno must wield the axe on “uninspiring” £30k-p/w Wolves flop, he’s done at Molineux…

Crystal Palace failed to give Roy Hodgson a memorable send-off in his last game in charge of the Eagles, losing 2-0 away to Liverpool.

The 73-year-old manager is calling time on his four-year spell at Selhurst Park but lost to one of his former sides following an underwhelming performance from the capital club.

It means that Palace have recorded consecutive 14th-placed finishes in Hodgson’s final two campaign’s at the club, leaving a solid foundation for any potential successor.

However, the ex-England boss would have wanted his final 90 minutes to be a rather more noteworthy affair, not the disappointing display that his team produced at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

One player who was particularly guilty of letting Hodgson down was midfielder Jairo Riedewald. The former Ajax man recorded a meagre 6.4/10 rating, the joint-lowest score received by anyone on the pitch, as per SofaScore.

Remarkably, the 24-year-old had just 25 touches of the ball against Jurgen Klopp’s charges, despite playing the full 90 minutes, 19 fewer touchces than the 44 goalkeeper Vicente Guaita managed.

None of the Palace players covered themselves in glory in what was a below-par showing from the south London outfit, but Riedewald was arguably the worst out of a bad bunch.

The three-cap Netherlands ace has often struggled since arriving on English shores, only making 72 Palace appearances in four seasons, but this was amongst his most ineffective outings.

He won just one of his three duels, made only 14 accurate passes and failed to make a single tackle. It’s set to be a summer of big changes at Selhurst Park, and Reidewald may have to convince the new boss that he’s worth keeping after this shocking performance.

If that was Hodgson’s last game in management, Riedewald was one of the Palace players who let the departing boss down on his exit from the game.

And, in other news…Pundit says Crystal Palace should pick Valerien Ismael over Steve Cooper

A very worrying behind-the-scenes claim has emerged on Harry Kane and his future at Tottenham Hotspur.

As per Football Insider, there has been some ‘encouragement’ behind-the-scenes at Manchester United as the Spurs star is ‘said to be interested’ in a potential move to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

A source from the Old Trafford faithful has claimed that the Red Devils are currently ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation at the North London club and would be ‘very keen’ in signing him.

The source added that MUFC ‘have always wanted’ the England international captain and that ‘nothing has changed in that regard’.

He is thought of by the club to be their ‘perfect spearhead’ to take them back to the top of the table in the Premier League, and Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites board ‘could be pushed into a corner’ if Kane were to go public with his ‘desire’ to leave them.

The 27-year-old has three years left on his current deal at THFC and United are one of a few clubs who can afford his £125m+ valuation.

The report adds that Kane is ‘100 per cent thinking of moving on’ as he has been left ‘unimpressed’ with the ambition shown by his club’s hierarchy.

Tottenham must keep Kane

Jose Mourinho’s side must try and keep Kane at all costs, as he is of course such an important player to the club. It is not only that though – selling him to a rival for the top four in the Premier League would be downright ludicrous, especially considering the Lilywhites do not exactly have the best record of reinvesting smartly when selling star players, as we saw when Gareth Bale left.

Yet another great season has seen the striker score no fewer than 29 times and make a further 16 assists in 42 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), and if Tottenham have any ambition of getting back in the UEFA Champions League, Kane would be nothing short of vital in doing so.

In other news, find out which ‘magnificent coach’ Levy could hold a meeting with here!